WHAT CAN A FAMILY LAWYER DO FOR YOU?

A family lawyer is not automatically a divorce or separation lawyer. We can assist you in many different ways before you union, during your separation, after your separation, with or without children.

OUR STRENGTH

We will be there with you during the entire process of your legal proceedings. We will put all our efforts and knowledge to resolve your case as quickly and as efficiently as possible to minimize the emotional and financial impact of court proceedings on the entire family.

WHAT CAN A FAMILY LAWYER DO FOR YOU BEFORE YOUR UNION?

As family lawyers, we highly recommend couples to come and see us before they decide to get married or move in together. There are so many issues we can avoid dealing with at the time of separation if the parties knew what they were doing from the beginning. We’ll be able to give you advice on your rights and obligations beforehand. You’ll know what you are getting into and you might avoid making very common mistakes that are often the cause of disputes at the time of separation.

A family lawyer will be able to tell you the differences between marriage and common law spouses. A family lawyer will inform you about ways to protect your assets before or during your union. A family lawyer will advise you of the legal regime in place at the time of marriage that will apply to you and your spouse automatically despite your wishes, if no marriage contract is in place. An hour of consultation with a family lawyer might be sufficient to avoid you a messy separation.

WHAT CAN A FAMILY LAWYER DO FOR YOU DURING SEPARATION?

The best way to protect yourself is to consult a family lawyer BEFORE you separate. When you see that things are not going well, go ahead and call us as your family lawyer. We will be able to advise you on the best ways to separate to avoid a de facto situation that might be detrimental to your eventual divorce, separation or custody case. For example, your family lawyer will advise you on the legal consequences of leaving the family residence.

WHAT CAN A FAMILY LAWYER DO FOR YOU ONCE SEPARATED?

Of course, the family lawyer is mostly known for his litigation skills. Your family lawyer will be able to institute the appropriate legal proceedings before the court. Your family lawyer will assist you during the whole process of the proceedings, which may vary in time depending on the complexity of the file.
But your family lawyer can also help you negotiate an amicable agreement to avoid contested proceedings. Before instituting proceedings, we will recommend family mediation which might resolve all your issues. If so, we will draft a consent agreement and submit a joint motion on your behalf.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROCEEDINGS A FAMILY LAWYER CAN INSTITUTE?

  • Joint Divorce or separation as to bed and board
  • Contested Divorce or separation as to bed and board
  • Custody and access rights of minor children
  • Child support (demand, modification, cancellation)
  • Partition of assets (family patrimony, matrimonial regime)
  • Partition of assets of Common law spouses (co-ownership)
  • Spousal support /alimony (demand, modification, cancellation)
  • Filiation (declaration of paternity)
  • Access rights for grandparents
  • Contempt of court and Habeus corpus
  • International jurisdiction cases (forum non conveniens)

WHAT CAN A FAMILY LAWYER DO FOR YOU AFTER A JUDGMENT IS RENDERED?

After a judgment is rendered regarding your family situation, a family lawyer can help you execute the modalities established in the judgment. Whether it is relating to the partition of assets, pension plans, non-execution of custody or access rights, your family lawyer will explain to you the appropriate ways to take to enforce the judgment.
Furthermore, if there is a significant change in your situation after the judgment is rendered, your family lawyer will be able to advise you on the possibilities of requesting a modification of the initial judgment.